Do social and lifestyle variables have an impact on intellectual functioning? If so, in what way(s)?
ANSWER:
Higher socioeconomic status, exposure to stimulating environments, taking advantage of cultural and educational resources throughout one's life, and not being lonely have all been associated with better cognitive functioning. Loneliness, for example, is associated with greater cognitive decline and with mental health problems in later life. Although social and lifestyle variables are associated with intellectual functioning, it is still debatable whether these factors slow cognitive changes in late life. Research evidence on these factors is mixed. For example, decreases in social engagement and cognitive decline are related, but what is the directionality? Are declines in memory the result of lower social engagement, or are memory declines the reason for lower rates of social engagement? Correlational data cannot determine directionality of effects.
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The People's Republic of China engaged in military conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, and Tibet at least partly in order to
a. comply with international law. b. increase its wealth. c. respond to an external attack. d. divert attention from domestic social problems.
During the early years of World War II, Harold Lasswell predicted the rise of nation-states where military leaders' dictatorial power would enable them to divert national resources into weapons production and to win public support by means of
propaganda. Lasswell referred to these bodies as __________ states. a. warfare b. naturalistic c. garrison d. military e. elitist
When Scott, a 75-year-old gay man, learned that he had late-stage lymphoma, he felt that his accumulated loss of friends and lovers to AIDS and his subsequent suffering had
a. weakened him to the point he was ready to die. b. made him completely numb and unable to feel anything. c. made him want to go back into the closet. d. enabled him to face the news calmly and philosophically.
The broader society labels racial/ethnic minorities as crime-prone, then those groups will disproportionately appear in crime statistics. This statement reflects which sociological theory?
a. conflict theory b. functionalism c. symbolic interaction theory d. general strain theory